Tuesday's Letters to the Editor

August 19, 2013, 5:43PM

08/19/2013

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EDITOR: As a resident of Windsor, I was excited to see the town considering bringing a community pool to the area ("Windsor weighs water, sewer service for tribe," Aug. 10) Cities smaller than ours have found ways to build and maintain community pools.

To swim with a group of friends, we currently drive to Ridgway Swim Center in Santa Rosa. As a mother of two young daughters, my friends and I would welcome a community pool complex closer to home.

NICOLE LARSON

Windsor

<b>Let parents decide</b>

EDITOR: What is the percentage of children with gender-identity issues attending California public schools? ("Transgender students granted rights in new law," Aug. 13.) I would like to see poll results and any petition that was done asking parents of children attending public schools in this sad state about Assembly Bill 1266. Give parents the numbers, and let all of us decide.

This bill is a blatant abuse of my rights as a parent and the rights of my child, not to mention the pressure on our educators to deal with trying to "identify" who is a boy/girl and a girl/boy.

In this state, we have designated classes for kids who need extra help in a subject. If there are kids who are confused about their identity, then have a designated restroom for them. But do not subject the majority of kids to their confusion for the sake of being politically correct.

This bill does not address the issue of bullying. It simply bypasses the real issue: Kids are mean, and that behavior should be dealt with by parents and educators, not the elites in government.

Put AB 1266 on the ballot. My guess, as with Proposition 8, it will end up in the courts, and again the majority will be ignored.

M.E. GORMAN

Rohnert Park

<b>Stop regional plan</b>

EDITOR: With the passage of Plan Bay Area in July, all nine Bay Area counties will fall under the same unelected governance. Our legislators are imposing a sustainable communities strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Sounds good. It isn't. It is the transfer of wealth from suburbs to cities, and it threatens private property rights.

Hundreds of millions of dollars will be redirected from our federal and state transportation monies to regional agencies. They will prioritize the building of high-density housing next to mass transit. Their social engineering plans will label suburbs and rural areas unsustainable. Blight will be redefined. Fuel and energy costs will be inflated. Non-voter approved bonds can be issued. Our property taxes will be forever under assault.

The true agenda of Plan Bay Area is obvious if you ignore the false premise that the environment is the intended beneficiary. The agenda is control of land use, transportation, construction and us, all for our own good, of course.

If you value private property rights, please get involved. There are lawsuits in the works to stop Plan Bay Area.

EDITOR: Harassment of bicyclists seems to be the last strong foothold of unrepentant hatred and bigotry in our society. The rampant stereotyping and finding the smallest perceived indiscretions to justify vitriol and worse is no less offensive than historic treatment of other persecuted groups.

Just as we have moved beyond harassment based on gender, race and religion, we can hope that our society — starting with Sonoma County — can move beyond discrimination against bicyclists. Often the first critical step in ending harassment has been to make it unlawful.

EDITOR: Dan Morain's column on the prison hunger strike is one of the reasons I subscribe to The Press Democrat ("The real story behind the prison hunger strike," Friday). This type of investigative journalism helps the public understand issues involving large state public agencies. It provides the background behind the headline and, most important, helps us form more accurate opinions on such issues.

I realize that many of "us liberals" tend to jump to support causes based on a minimal amount of information. This is where we need writers such as Morain who will give us a context and background on the story.

EDITOR: As a resident of Windsor, I was excited to see the town considering bringing a community pool to the area ("Windsor weighs water, sewer service for tribe," Aug. 10) Cities smaller than ours have found ways to build and maintain community pools.

To swim with a group of friends, we currently drive to Ridgway Swim Center in Santa Rosa. As a mother of two young daughters, my friends and I would welcome a community pool complex closer to home.

NICOLE LARSON

Windsor

<b>Let parents decide</b>

EDITOR: What is the percentage of children with gender-identity issues attending California public schools? ("Transgender students granted rights in new law," Aug. 13.) I would like to see poll results and any petition that was done asking parents of children attending public schools in this sad state about Assembly Bill 1266. Give parents the numbers, and let all of us decide.

This bill is a blatant abuse of my rights as a parent and the rights of my child, not to mention the pressure on our educators to deal with trying to "identify" who is a boy/girl and a girl/boy.

In this state, we have designated classes for kids who need extra help in a subject. If there are kids who are confused about their identity, then have a designated restroom for them. But do not subject the majority of kids to their confusion for the sake of being politically correct.

This bill does not address the issue of bullying. It simply bypasses the real issue: Kids are mean, and that behavior should be dealt with by parents and educators, not the elites in government.

Put AB 1266 on the ballot. My guess, as with Proposition 8, it will end up in the courts, and again the majority will be ignored.

M.E. GORMAN

Rohnert Park

<b>Stop regional plan</b>

EDITOR: With the passage of Plan Bay Area in July, all nine Bay Area counties will fall under the same unelected governance. Our legislators are imposing a sustainable communities strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Sounds good. It isn't. It is the transfer of wealth from suburbs to cities, and it threatens private property rights.

Hundreds of millions of dollars will be redirected from our federal and state transportation monies to regional agencies. They will prioritize the building of high-density housing next to mass transit. Their social engineering plans will label suburbs and rural areas unsustainable. Blight will be redefined. Fuel and energy costs will be inflated. Non-voter approved bonds can be issued. Our property taxes will be forever under assault.

The true agenda of Plan Bay Area is obvious if you ignore the false premise that the environment is the intended beneficiary. The agenda is control of land use, transportation, construction and us, all for our own good, of course.

If you value private property rights, please get involved. There are lawsuits in the works to stop Plan Bay Area.

EILEEN BERGER

Glen Ellen

<b>Bigotry's last foothold</b>

EDITOR: Harassment of bicyclists seems to be the last strong foothold of unrepentant hatred and bigotry in our society. The rampant stereotyping and finding the smallest perceived indiscretions to justify vitriol and worse is no less offensive than historic treatment of other persecuted groups.

Just as we have moved beyond harassment based on gender, race and religion, we can hope that our society — starting with Sonoma County — can move beyond discrimination against bicyclists. Often the first critical step in ending harassment has been to make it unlawful.

EDITOR: Dan Morain's column on the prison hunger strike is one of the reasons I subscribe to The Press Democrat ("The real story behind the prison hunger strike," Friday). This type of investigative journalism helps the public understand issues involving large state public agencies. It provides the background behind the headline and, most important, helps us form more accurate opinions on such issues.

I realize that many of "us liberals" tend to jump to support causes based on a minimal amount of information. This is where we need writers such as Morain who will give us a context and background on the story.